The bottleneck in laptop performance is usually a 2.5-inch 5600 rpm hard drive. Therefore, there is no better laptop upgrade than replacing it. mechanical drive(HDD) to a solid state drive (SSD). The task is not trivial, but for regular user raises many questions. If the thought of reinstalling Windows and all your programs, and then their fine tuning, confuses you, don't worry. After reading this article, and after an hour of work on replacing the disk, you can enjoy positive results upgrade.
Checking laptop before upgrading to SSD
The process of upgrading a laptop to replace a hard drive with an SSD is pretty straightforward. You just need to remove the installed HDD from the laptop and replace it with an SSD. If your laptop has a removable bottom panel, then you are the luckiest of all. If you have an Ultrabook or your laptop does not have a removable bottom panel (for example, it can be sealed), then the process of removing the hard drive becomes somewhat more complicated. In the manual of your laptop, as a rule, you can always find The right way replacing the hard drive. Sometimes we will hard disk can be very difficult, but I'm sure that such laptops already have an SSD drive installed. Laptops where you can't simply remove the back cover are hardly lower or mid-range laptops. Most likely this is a premium tier, which in most cases does not need such an upgrade.
Removed laptop back cover
For all other cases, the process of removing the back panel and removing the hard drive from the bowels of the laptop should not raise questions. Let me touch on a little theory that you may need to remove a disk.
What do we need
SSD... Well, first of all, you need yourself SSD drive With the right form factor for your laptop. The SSD must be large enough in case you want to clone your current HDD. I advise you to choose a disk with a capacity of 250 GB or more, and preferably 500 GB, if the price tag of 10,000 rubles does not scare you. For most people, 250GB on a laptop should be enough for all tasks. Do not assume that this volume will be enough for you to store your personal video archive or music collection. The laptop is not for these purposes.
Adapter for HDD / SSD connection to the laptop. If you want to clone your hard drive, then you cannot do without an external adapter. For this, the following is suitable:
- Adapter for SSD / HDD 2.5 "to CD / DVD drive;
- External adapter adapter controller for connecting hard drives HDD / SSD and optical drives CD / DVD. USB 2.0;
- Adapter for connecting HDD / SSD SATA III to USB ports 3.1.
Such an adapter will be useful not only for connecting an SSD and organizing the cloning process, but will also turn your current hard drive into external storage, for example, to save a personal video archive or for backup.
Small Phillips screwdriver to remove the back cover of the laptop and release the hard drive, and then secure the SSD.
Separate external hard disk(optional). You may need a hard drive of the same size or larger to store folders that will not fit on an SSD. It can also keep a full system backup just in case something goes wrong.
Preparing your HDD for cloning
We will make a small preparatory work on the current disc while it is not yet captured.
1. Make a full system backup. How to create a system image backup in Windows 10 is as follows. In the control panel, open the section system and safety then open the section Backup and recovery... On the left, follow the link System imaging... Decide where you will store the image and go through all the steps of the wizard.
System imaging
2. Moving large folders... Chances are, your hard drive is larger than a brand new SSD. Therefore, we move large folders containing photos, videos, games and personal documents to external storage or another place to try to leave as much disk space as possible for cloning to the SSD. I usually copy to hard drives the computer on which the volumes hard drives much more than a laptop. If you do not have a computer or adapter with external drive, then I advise you to copy to network drives to the Internet, such as Google Drive or.
3. Delete unnecessary files. Extra space to be occupied installed programs, we don't need anything. If you can easily reinstall them on the SSD in the future, then feel free to remove them from the HDD. Large files that you no longer need, but they are simply because there is a place, it is also better to delete. The cloning operation will be much faster. Additionally, I recommend cleaning the system from unnecessary system junk and temporary files free program CCleaner.
We connect the SSD
We are now ready to connect the SSD to the laptop for the first time for the cloning process.
1. We connect the SSD to the adapter. Depending on the type of adapter, install the SSD into the CD / DVD adapter case or connect to USB to SATA adapter and then connect to your laptop.
We connect the SSD to the USB adapter
2. Initializing SSD. If Windows after installing the driver does not display the new drive letter in Explorer, open Control Panel and run the snap-in Disk management... In snap Disk management You should see the SSD as new disc under your current drive. If it is not initialized, click right click mouse on the disk and select Initialize disk.
SSD initialization
3. Resizing current section disk... We will need to reduce the size of the current disk if it is larger than the SSD. Let's bring it to an equal or smaller size. In snap Disk management check the primary partition of your current drive (usually the C: drive, or another with installed system Windows) so that its size is no larger than SSD size... If it is not, then you need to compress it. Right click on the operating system partition and select Shrink Tom... A window to compress the current disc will open. Push Shrink.
Compress C:
This operation will resize the primary partition to leave the reclaimed disk space as unallocated space. But you shouldn't worry about the unused space, during the cloning process we will resize the partition and include this unallocated space in the SSD volume.
After all operations, you need to restart the laptop.
Clone HDD - 3 ways
Finally, the time has come for the most important operation, for which we have already gone so much.
Choosing a disk cloning program.
We have several ways here.
1 way
To do this, I use the EaseUS Todo Backup Free utility, which is free for personal use, It has user-friendly interface and also optimizes migration to SSD. Download the utility and run it. Selecting the button Clone, specify the source and target disk, then follow the instructions of the wizard and get a copy of the hard disk on the SSD.
Please note that you must check the option Optimize for SSD when choosing target disk... This ensures that the sectors are aligned on your SSD and improves your chances of booting from the SSD after the cloning process.
On the next window, you can compare the original drive with the SSD. As you can see below, EaseUs automatically configures for different sizes drives unallocated space on the current drive.
Starting the cloning process
Click the button Proceed, and then turn off the laptop when the operation is complete.
2 way
Since the release operating system Windows 7 has a built-in utility that you can use to clone the system to a new disk. We have already made a system image, in the chapter I described the process of creating a system image. After you need to select the link Create a system recovery disc.
Create a system recovery disc
We need this disk to load the System Restore Wizard. After the recovery disk is ready, we change the HDD to SSD (in next section see this process) and boot from the recovery disk. We select the image that was created earlier and indicate that we will restore current disk... After this operation, you will have a copied HDD disk to your SSD.
3 way
I want to offer a utility that is a whole combine for copying disks and partitions - Macrium Reflect... The features of the free version are enough for us, so we go to the official website and download the utility. If you want to familiarize yourself with all the capabilities of the utility, then right on the site there is comparison table versions and their capabilities.
Launch the downloaded agent and start downloading the WinPE components.
Agent Macrium Reflect
After installation, we launch the program window and create a system image or clone a disk, depending on whether you have an adapter for connection external hard disks and extra hard the disk needs the volume in question. If so, then we clone the current disk to the new SSD. If not, then create a disk image and restore it to the SSD.
Macrium Reflect
To perform all these operations, we need to create a recovery disc in the Macrium Reflect application itself. This is very easy to do. In the application menu, select Other task - Create Rescue Media... We will open the disk creation wizard, in which you need to complete all the operations step by step and create a disk with WinPE on board. This disk will allow you to boot and perform a system restore from an image.
Rescue Media Wizard
Replacing HDD with SSD
1. Turn off the laptop and remove back panel. Turn off your laptop and then unplug the power cable and other connected cables, including the SSD. Then unscrew the back cover of the laptop and remove it to access the hard drive.
2. Remove the screws that secure the drive. You need to unscrew 2 or 4 screws before the drive can be removed.
3. Lift the hard drive up to 45 degrees and pull it out to myself.
4. In its place, install the SSD and put the laptop back in order.
SSD Boot Test
Moment of Truth: Turn on your laptop. It should load an order of magnitude faster and at the same time you will see all the contents of the desktop as it was before the upgrade. Moreover, all heavy applications should also now load almost instantly.
If you received a death screen or a maintenance screen, choose Diagnostics – Extra options – Boot options... If after that the system does not boot, then the disk was cloned unsuccessfully, try to repeat all the operations again.
Now connect your repository with the archive folders created in the step and copy everything back. At the same time, you will be pleasantly surprised by the copying speed.
There are several ways to install an SSD in a laptop, depending on the purpose of using the solid-state storage. The device can be used as the main and additional storage space. Many users use solid state storage as system disk, which can significantly speed up Windows.
Installing an SSD in a laptop
New SSDs have more storage space multimedia files and resource-intensive programs.
Choosing an SSD drive for a laptop
The standard solid state drive has a 2.5 "form factor, which is compatible with the dimensions of a laptop HDD. When choosing a model, you should pay attention to this very criterion. The drive must be connected to the SATA interface. Modern technologies provide the ability to use multiple file storages in a laptop, which expands the choice.
To install the operating system, models with a memory capacity of up to 120 GB are purchased. This solution has an affordable price and 5-6 times faster system loading and performance of operations related to work system files... Larger solid-state storage is designed to store high-quality multimedia files and work with resource-intensive programs.
Replacing HDD with SSD
To replace the hard drive with a modern analogue, it is necessary to disassemble the laptop. To do this, you need a Phillips screwdriver. In most laptop models, the HDD is located right under the rear cover - unscrew the fastening screws and carefully detach the cover.
Remove the HDD gently by pulling it in the direction indicated by the directional arrow. SSD like standard HDD, connects to the SATA interface. Place the drive in the 2.5 ″ hard drive slot and secure the laptop cover with the bolts.
This solution allows you to set up a modern storage device as the main file storage. Install the operating system on a new device, and further configuration of the storage device will be described below.
Installing an SSD instead of a floppy drive
Modern technologies, the availability of the necessary adapters allows you to install an SSD in a slot for optical drive... This solution allows you to expand the space on your laptop and save data from old HDD drive. You can use multiple file storages at the same time.
To install a solid-state drive instead of a floppy drive, you will need to purchase an additional adapter - SATA 2nd HDD Caddy for Laptop. When ordering an adapter, check the compatibility with your laptop model. To install the adapter, it is necessary to remove back cover laptop.
Some models restrict access to the drive, which forces a deep disassembly of the laptop. Follow the instructions to preserve the integrity of the case and a successful disassembly.
Remove the drive and attach the adapter. The adapter supports 2.5 ″ drives.
Reassemble the laptop case.
Setting up an SSD drive
After replacing HDD with SSD or installing additional storage it is necessary to make the subsequent configuration in the operating system. If a solid-state drive is used as a disk for an operating system, it is necessary to configure the boot of the disk.
Enter bios in BOOT section and move the desired disc to the first position. The operating system will automatically boot Windows from the required disk.
Configuring and Disabling Services in Windows
The family of Windows operating systems is aimed at working mainly with HDD drives, which have some differences in principle. SSD work... To improve the functioning and life of the device, you need to make a number of changes in the Windows settings.
Disable hard drive defragmentation
Defragmenting the hard disk allows you to speed up the operation of the HDD by optimizing its logical structure for fast data reading. For SSDs, this function is not needed; on the contrary, it can harm the solid-state drive. You can disable defragmentation by executing the command in the "Start menu - run - dfrgui «
V early versions Windows 10 and subsequent updates, this section was called "Disk Optimization", where defragmentation has been redesigned for modern systems... You don't need to disable this process on Windows 10.
Disable paging file
If there is enough RAM, it is recommended to disable the paging file, which has a positive effect on the speed of the hard disk.
To perform this operation, you need to open the performance parameters. Select "No paging file".
Enabling the TRIM function
The Windows family, starting with version 7, began to actively support work with solid-state drives. The developers have added a TRIM function that interacts with the SSD drive. The system sends information about unused blocks to be deleted. This speeds up system performance and extends the life of the device.
You can check the activity of a service in the following way:
- Open command prompt
- Copy the command fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify
- The received response must contain the value DisableDeleteNotify = 0 or DisableDeleteNotify = 1. If the received value is 0, the TRIM function is active, if the value is 1, the TRIM does not function.
This feature is enabled by default in Windows 7 and newer.
Disable hibernation - sleep mode
System startup speed on an SSD drive is 5-6 times faster than on an HDD. The hibernation function is no longer relevant when using a solid state drive. Hibernation creates a system rewritable file. Disabling this feature simplifies system operation and optimizes device performance.
Disable file indexing
The files are indexed constantly and creates a rewritable file, which could theoretically shorten the time SSD services disk.
Disabling indexing will not affect the speed of file search, since the SSD has high speed working with files. You can disable indexing as follows:
- Open the shortcut "My Computer";
- Open the properties of the required disk;
- Uncheck the "Allow indexing file contents ..." tab.
Installing a modern storage device not only speeds up the system, but also requires maintenance and detailed configuration.
If your new computer with Windows 10 boots long time, then, most likely, this is because it runs on a regular hard drive. This also applies to most older computers. Did you know that replacing the hard drive with a solid state drive (SSD) will make your machine run much faster? It's true that a five-year-old computer with an SSD is much faster than even a brand new one running on a regular hard drive. Good news is that replacement drives are fairly easy to make, and not too expensive, due to the fact that SSDs are now much more affordable than they were just a few years ago.
(A standard SSD looks like a traditional 2.5-inch laptop hard drive, but it's much faster.)
In this article, I will show you how to replace the internal hard drive of a Windows computer with a solid state drive while keeping the software, data, and settings unchanged. Windows control 7, 8 or 10. In the previous Windows versions SSDs are not well supported. The steps in this article are done on Windows 10, which you can install, by the way, as a free update until July 29, 2016, MacBook owners can familiarize themselves with.
General direction. The replacement process basically involves cloning the contents of an existing hard drive onto an SSD, and then directly replacing the hard drive from the computer to an SSD. It is a similar process for desktops and laptops, although it is much easier to work with a desktop computer due to its large size.
Depending on how much data you have on your main hard drive, this project will take anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours. You will not need to be actively involved most of this time.
A. Preparation.
There are several things to consider for this to work.First, you obviously need an SSD. While not all SSDs are created equal, all solid state drives much faster than any conventional hard drive, so the differences between the two are not significant in relation to someone replacing a conventional hard drive. However, with the drive, try to buy the largest drive for the least money.
One important thing to keep in mind is make sure you buy an SSD with a higher capacity than the total amount of data you currently have on the hard drive you are replacing. This means, for example, that if the capacity of your computer's main hard drive is 1TB, but you used about 200GB of that, then you just need an SSD with a capacity of about 240GB. You can buy a larger SSD or the same one as your existing hard drive if you can afford it.
The second thing you need is cloning software. There are quite a few of them, and most of them work well (some SSDs come with this type software), but my favorite is free version Macrium Reflect. This software allows you to clone an existing disk to a new one, even without restarting your computer. It also supports all types of hard disk formats.
The third thing you need is a USB-to-SATA adapter. These adapters can be found online for about $ 15 or so. If you have an external hard drive (whether portable or desktop), you can use its adapter part to work. Please note that for a desktop computer, as an option, you do not need to look for such an adapter and install the SSD as a secondary internal disk for the cloning process, which is much faster than using a USB connection.
Finally, you need a small screwdriver. Choose the one that matches the screws on your computer. Typically a standard small cross will work.
Additional preparation.
This step is only necessary if you want to use an old used SSD (the one that was formatted before) to replace the existing hard drive on your computer. If you bought a new SSD, you can skip this step and go directly to the cloning process.There are two types of disc formats. These are the Master Boot Record (MBR), which is used in Windows 7 and earlier, and the GUID Partition Table (GPT), which was adopted in Windows 8 and later. (Note that Windows 8 and Windows 10 work with MBR too.) If you want to use a used SSD for your computer, you must first convert it to the same disk format as your existing hard drive for the process cloning. If not, the system may not boot as a result.
It is quite easy to find out what is using the existing hard disk of the computer GPT or MBR. Here's how to do it.
1. Start the command line. (Right click on the "Start" button and select "Command Prompt" or search in the menu "All Programs> System Tools").
diskpart then press Enter. (Answer yes to the control question accounts if prompted.)
3. In the team diskpart prompt enter list disk, then press Enter.
You will see a list of disks installed on the system. If a disk is listed with an asterisk (*) in the GPT column, then it is using GPT. Otherwise, it is an MBR drive.
And here's how to make sure your SSD is of the same format type:
1. Start the command line.
2. In the Command Prompt window, enter diskmgmt then press Enter. This will open the Disk Management window.
3. In the disk management window, find the SSD, which will be shown as disk 1 (or disk 2, etc. depending on the number of disks you have on the machine). Right click on the SSD then select Convert to GPT (if the current disk uses MBR), or Convert to MBR (if the current one uses GPT.) Just make sure it is the same type of disk format as your existing hard disk ...
B. Cloning a disk.
Now that you have everything you need, let's begin this process. Insert the SSD into a USB port on your computer using a USB to SATA cable.(Note that the steps below are on Macrium Reflect. With other versions or other cloning software, the steps will be slightly different, so follow the instructions in the software, but it should be easy enough to understand. The idea is that you are cloning existing hard drive on SSD, keeping all settings.)
1. Download and install Macrium Refelct Free (see link above).
2. After the installation is complete, double click on the Reflect icon on your computer desktop.
3. Under the pictogram existing computer, click on "Clone this disk ..." This will open the clone window.
4. In the clone window, click "Select a disk to clone to ..." then select the SSD that is connected to the computer via the USB port.
Additional note: Here you can check to make sure both disks are the same type of disk format (GPT or MBR). Also, if your existing hard drive has many small partitions, and you are using an SSD of the same or smaller capacity, you may encounter an error saying that not all partitions can fit on the SSD. In this case, you can disable the sections on the right side of the main section, which always contains (C :) in its name. This is the section that contains the operating system.
B. Replacing the hard drive with SSD.
This last step involves ejecting an existing hard drive. On most laptops, this is conceived simply by placing the hard drive in a bay on the edge of the computer. You can pull it out after you unscrew a couple of screws on the bottom of the laptop. Sometimes hard drives fit under the battery. With desktop computers, things are easier, where hard drives (3.5-inch versions) are easy to find as soon as the case cover is open. You should refer to the user manual or search the Internet for information on how to remove the hard drive from your computer. Note that for desktops, some SSDs come with a 3.5 ”bay adapter to make them usable in desktop computers. However, if your SSD does not have such an adapter, you can leave the SSD hanging inside the computer case. Since SSDs have no moving parts and the desktop computer is usually motionless, there is little or no harm in leaving the SSD hanging loose inside the case (just make sure it doesn't touch anything).After the old hard drive is removed and the SSD is installed, make sure you tighten all the screws when installing the SSD. In my experience, if you have a screw or two left, you've done something wrong.
Now that the SSD has been installed, store your old hard drive in a safe place as a permanent backup. Or you can also use it with a USB-to-SATA adapter as a drive for the current backup. V desktop computer, you can actually still use the old hard drive as a spare if there is room for it inside the computer case.
Restart your computer a few times so that the operating system gets used to the new SSD. Don't worry, your computer will boot up noticeably faster now.
On the budget computers, even with a good processor and other components, manufacturers sacrifice for the sake of economy speed hard disk, betting on volume.
Replacing the HDD in a laptop with an SSD will speed up the computer and, if desired, you can get additional storage if you purchase a special adapter.
What you need to know
- Before carrying out the replacement, you can attend to the transfer of the system. If you are planning to install a new OS, then you can skip this point. Just throw off important files on the cloud service or a USB flash drive.
- If you want to change the drive while maintaining the system, then the new memory storage must be large enough to contain all the necessary information.
- If you have new laptop With valid by guarantee, then after opening the laptop yourself, you will lose it.
How to keep a copy of Windows
When replacing an old HDD with a new SSD in a laptop, many users think about how to transfer the system to a new drive. For this, were developed special programs from laptop manufacturers.
Some of them:
- Acer provides the utility " Acer eRecovery Management ";
- at Sony, VAIO Recovery Center;
- Samsung has - " Samsung Recovery Solution 5 ";
- Toshiba satellite - "Recovery Disc Creator";
- HP Recovery Manager;
- Lenovo solution center;
- Asus has Backtracker;
- MSI Recovery Manager;
The list may grow over time. You can find and download new versions of programs from the official sites.
You can also use universal ones: Macrium Reflect Free, Macrium Reflect. They are supported on all Windows operating systems.
For each program there is detailed instructions on the developer's website, but basically all the functionality is the same: launch the program, choose what and where to copy, wait until the process is complete. After replacing the disk, you will see the desktop as it was.
We start replacing the hard drive
Below we will look at an example of replacing a hard drive with an SSD in laptop Asus... If your laptop is from another manufacturer, it's okay, the principle is always the same for most models.
Before proceeding with the disassembly of the laptop, be sure to turn it off and remove the battery. And when working, try not to touch the components on the motherboard, even the slightest scratch can damage it.
Getting started:
If you decide to put new system, then use Windows 7 or higher, Windows xp and Vista are not designed to work on an SSD drive and there may be a drop in write speed. Also, the 10th and 8th versions of the system are most optimized for working on a solid-state drive.
Otherwise, after you have installed the SSD, the OS installation will be no different from the usual one.
What to do with an old hard drive
1) HDD can be installed as additional storage data instead of a DVD drive. They have long lost their popularity and are practically not used.
To do this, you need a special adapter that is inserted into the drive seat. When choosing, pay attention to its height and width, since the dimensions disk drive depends on the thickness of the laptop itself. Also, the width of the adapter can also be different. The discrepancy between the dimensions will not hurt work hard disk, but if you are a perfectionist - then this disadvantage will get on your nerves.
Connecting a hard disk instead of a drive is not difficult, usually along with the adapter comes instructions and the necessary tools. This way of using it will be optimal for replacing the hard disk without reinstalling the system.
2) Alternatively, you can buy an external case with a USB adapter and use the hard drive as a portable storage device.
Detailed video tutorial
When replacing an HDD with an SSD, how much performance improvement can you expect? In this article, we will check on the example of the Plextor M6V 256GB model. The article also provides detailed instructions on how to replace hdd with ssd.
Relatively good read performance, compatibility with notebooks and Ultrabooks (6.8mm thick), PlexTurbo 3 technology, 3 year warranty with unlimited data writing.
Minuses
- poor performance in write tests;
- low performance under prolonged load;
- the price could be a little lower.
Once upon a time replacing hdd with ssd was monstrously expensive, and only a few could afford such computer optimizations. Those times are fortunately gone as media prices fell to such low level that at present they are not something unusual, even less wealthy customers can afford them, in particular, this applies to models with a volume of 120 - 128 GB. The 240 - 256 GB models are also very popular.
Why replace your hard drive with an SSD?
Okay, but why should you replace your HDD with an SSD? Replacing hdd with ssd on a computer boils down to how SSD works, magnetic disks here are replaced by semiconductor storage devices, which provide much higher efficiency and much faster data access times. As a result, you can count on greater comfort when using your computer, as well as more fast loading OS and applications (including games).
SSDs, by the way, offer lower power consumption and are shock-resistant, and the added benefit is often smaller size and weight. These features give definite advantage v mobile devices oh, where, in addition to efficiency, it is mobility that is important, and as a result maximum time work on the built-in battery. Based on this, roughly speaking, you already know the answer to the question: which is better hdd or ssd for laptop?
SSDs aren't for everyone yet ...
Nowadays, the big disadvantage of SSDs is the price-to-capacity ratio compared to hard drives which use traditional magnetic disks (HDD) - characterized by a higher volume and lower cost per GB. Also the number of entries and erasures is one which is better than hdd, on ssd it is slightly smaller. But the industry is constantly evolving, so in the future, in a few years, you can expect solid state drives of the same size, or even more capacity than HDD. Prices from year to year are also getting lower and it is predicted even for the equation with HDDs.
By at least this is what the theory looks like, so it was decided to test it in practice by the example of the inexpensive 256 GB Plextor M6V model.
Below is shown how to replace a HDD with an SSD in a computer, you will also see what an increase in performance speed you can expect, also thanks to the use of copyright technology PlexTurbo 3.0. This information is intended for less experienced readers, not all are great experts, so if you are an experienced user, do not blame me because you probably already know which disk better ssd or hdd.
Test platform
- Motherboard: MSI Z87M Gaming;
- RAM: GeIL 2 x 4 GB 1500 MHz;
- Solid State Drive: Plextor M6V 256GB;
- Hard drive: WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (WD3200AAKS);
- Power supply: High Power Element Bronze 500 V;
- Graphics system: Intel HD 4600 (integrated).
Operating system and drivers:
- Operating system: Windows 8.1 64-bit;
- Intel Graphics Driver 15.36.
Step by step installation
Before starting work, it is worth taking care of the order and disconnecting all cables from the computer. Be sure to also discharge the electrical charge (unless you have special gloves or an electrostatic mat) just hold the plug against a grounded piece such as a radiator.
First you need to prepare a new hard ssd as well as the tools necessary for work, in this case, a Phillips screwdriver is sufficient. In addition, aesthetes can purchase several clamps for wiring. To replace a disk, you first need to get inside the computer - to do this, unscrew the screws holding the side panel of the case and move it back with a confident movement.
Then you need to find a bay designed for hard drives, it is usually located at the front of the case.
The old HDD is removed from the computer and a fast SSD is inserted in its place. The operation begins with the dismantling of cables, power and signal.
Then taken out and taken off old disk from the basket. A new SSD is installed instead of the old disk.
There is nothing difficult in replacing an old HDD with a new SSD. They are both easy to mount to the basket.
If the manufacturer has provided mounts for 2.5-inch hard drives, then you can safely install your new solid-state drive in it. Often you can also come across universal cages adapted for mounting 2.5 - and 3.5-inch hard drives (as in the picture above).
Otherwise, you will have to use a special adapter into which the SSD is installed, and then install it in a basket designed for 3.5-inch drives. Some manufacturers add such an adapter in the kit, while in other cases it needs to be bought separately for a few dollars.
It is also necessary to connect two wires to a new disk, for power supply and a signal one.
The power cable is wider and the signal cable is narrower. Both plugs are designed in such a way that you cannot connect them incorrectly. The signal cable connects to an available SATA 6Gb / s connector on the motherboard.
If the enclosure allows such possibilities, it is worth taking care of the aesthetic cable routing. At the end, the case is closed and all the wires of the computer are connected.
It remains to configure the launch of the operating system from the solid-state drive. For this purpose, immediately after starting the computer, you enter the menu UEFI bios(usually the F2 or DEL key).
Find the function responsible for the order of searching hard drives in system search (BOOT) and select the SSD drive as a priority. It remains to save the changes and install the operating system or clone the contents of the old disk to the new one (for example, using the Acronis True Image package).
The media was installed in the computer, which means it's time to compare the performance of the HDD and SSD - for this we used a WD Caviar Blue 320 GB drive. Using an example, we focused on real tests that will allow you to better understand what the real benefits of such a computer upgrade and which hard drive is better than hdd or ssd.
The procedure for measuring the installation and boot times of the system / games is not repeated, so we performed all tests three times and then received an average rating.
Installing and starting the system
Installing Windows 8.1
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256 GB (SSD) 211;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 250.
Boot the Windows 8.1 operating system
[s] less = better
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 28.
If the difference is small when the system is installed, then when it starts up, the benefits of "replacement" will certainly be felt (the time is measured from the moment you press the power button of the computer until the desktop appears).
DiRT Rally: Greece Argolis Ourea Spevsi
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256 GB (SSD) 12.6;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 28;
DiRT Rally: Baumholder Germany - Frauenberg
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256GB (SSD) 11.9;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 21.2.
The difference at boot time is huge - more recent version hard disks allows you to reduce it by more than half.
Fallout 4
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256 GB (SSD) 28.9;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 46.
The same way the situation looks like in the latest Fallout, where maps can take a very long time to load. SSD reduces this time to an acceptable level.
Sleeping Dogs - Star
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256GB (SSD) 5.5;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 5.8.
Sleeping Dogs - Midtown
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256GB (SSD) 5.3;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 7.3.
Sleeping Dogs is a game where level loading takes very short time. The difference between HDDs and SSDs is present, but in this case it is not so noticeable.
Thief - Blocking
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256 GB (SSD) 23.3;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 26.8.
Thief - Mason's Market
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256GB (SSD) 13.1;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 13.6.
In the latest Thief, the levels are very varied - some load in a few seconds, while others take half a minute. And yet, the difference from switching to an SSD is not colossal.
Tests with PlexTurbo 3.0 technology
An additional benefit Plextor M6V discs are PlexTurbo technology that allows you to further accelerate your media. This solution is based on special algorithms that use RAM to cache frequently accessed data, because the disk minimizes cell write cycles and increases its lifespan, the computer can perform these operations faster. And it should be borne in mind that PlexTurbo does not affect the volume of the media.
The latest version of the package can handle multiple disks. In addition, the manufacturer introduced the ability to customize the speed of cleaning and the capacity of the cache memory, the user can assign up to 16 GB of memory, while the storage media of the M6V series support up to 1 GB. We did not forget about protection against data loss in the event of a power outage.
Activation of the PlexTurbo 3 technology did not reduce the boot time of the system, we can say that it loaded just as quickly (the time is measured from the moment the computer was turned on until the desktop appeared). The situation is similar in the last part of the DiRT series - the activation of the PlexTurbo 3 function practically did not bring any performance gain. Therefore, one should not expect acceleration in absolutely every case.
SSD or HDD?
Is it worth replacing the old one with the new one, ssd or hdd which is better? Yes, of course, there is not even the slightest doubt that the difference in computer operation will be visible to the naked eye. You will get the comfort of work and the speed of loading the system, games and applications. In some cases, you will cut the time by almost half. In addition, you can count on quieter operation (SSDs are completely silent), and in the case of mobile devices, the design is also lighter and the longevity of the built-in battery is extended.
You are a gamer and wondering: ssd or hdd which is better for games? An additional advantage of some models is the function of caching data in the area of RAM, an example here is the PlexTurbo technology. This function allows not only to further speed up the loading of the application, but also to stop the process of wear and tear of memory cells. Therefore, the answer to this question is obvious.
If you have decided on the answer to the question ( hard ssd disk or hdd which is better?) then the price will not be a problem either, because even despite the raging dollar exchange rate, solid-state drives are sold at affordable prices, models with a volume of 120 - 128 GB are no longer associated with such expenses as 3 or 5 years ago, now they can be bought for just over $ 50. The Plextor M6V 128GB drive can be purchased for $ 55. True, a medium of such capacity will probably not hold all the data, but it is perfect as a system one, with the most important applications.
Models with a capacity of 240 - 256 GB also sell well, because you can easily “buy” them for less than $ 100. Plextor M6V 256GB tested now available starting at $ 399.
Video how to replace hdd with ssd in pc
Step-by-step instructions on how to replace hdd with ssd in a pc as well as transferring windows from hdd to ssd.
